What are the views on candidates ( and supporting party members ) hanging around outside polling stations on polling day?
My wife is ill today so other party members are at certain times of the day standing down there, but to be honest I am failing to see any point to it. This morning there were 3 Labour members and 3 Tory members hanging out chatting away to each other and later on when I went to vote there was one of each, Tory, Labour and our UKIP stand-in.
What purpose does this serve? The general rules are that you can smile, say good morning and not a great deal else as there is a code of conduct essentially designed so you dont hassle voters, which begs the question why bother being there?
The Labour guy blocked the entrance to the polling station demanding voter numbers until I told him I was there to vote, not talk to him.
So would you do away with party members guarding polling stations? It seems to me just an old fashioned habit that really makes the parties involved look a bit desperate, especially 3 party members just for a town council seat.
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